The Clothing Consumer Profile in Paraná Coast (Brazil) in the Economy Resumption: The Post-Pandemic (Covid-19) ‘New Normal’

Aiming to support a better understanding of the clothing retail trade scenario after the crisis of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2: COVID-19) and the recovery of the Brazilian economy, it is presented the result of a descriptive exploratory research applied from June to September 2021 with 118 consumers located in Paraná Coast, in the Southern region of Brazil. The results showed that consumers were on average 29.06 years old with an average household income of USD 798.12, with women having a small greater margin in relation to the purchase of clothes when compared to men. The purchase preference among the interviewees was still for physical stores (n=51.95%), and among the factors that had greater relevance, the purchase of bespoke products was highlighted, eliminating the time-consuming exchanges of online shopping, the convenience of proximity to their homes and the possibility of trying on the desired pieces. The factors that hindered purchases were the small diversity of models and sizes of clothing, and in particular the issue of the price, which is considered high and constitutes a restrictive factor to retail trade in the region, and in a general context, the retail trade in Paraná Coast cannot satisfactorily meet the customers’ wishes. Especially in this period of the economic recovery and the return to face-to-face work, after so many deaths of the Brazilian population, it is necessary to consider other influences, not only those originating from the marketing process, such as relationship marketing.